Vehicle-step.



W iq J W. LEWIS. H VEHICLE STEP. APPLIOATIONJI LED SEPT. 20, 1910.

991,625. Patented May'9,19 11.

fllllllllz- 5 5E en ra n STATES PATENT OFFTQE.

WILSON LEWIS, 0F ON-VIL, LOUISIANA.

VEHICLE-STEP.

'- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9-, 1911'.

Application filed September 20, 1910. Serial No. 533,254.

[o all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILSO LEWIS, aclti zen of the United States, residing'at Onvil,

in the parish of St. Tammany and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful llllPl'OVQll'lGlllS Y in Vehicle-Steps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tovehicle steps.

One object is to provide a step for carriages or other -vehicles embodying such characteristics that if it strikes an obstruc tion in the field or roadway it will yield so as to obviate breaking off of the step or a. part of the body of the vehicle to which. the step is secured.

Another object resides in the provision of a step which is so' constructed and secured to the body of the vehicle that it normally assumes its operative position and will yield' in the event of coming into contact with an obstruction.

With the above and other objects in view,

the n'esent invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts herein after more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be'made-in the form, proportion, size and minor details, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a vehiclebodv showing acter 1 indicates portion of a vehicle and- --2a bracket which is adapted to be secured to the bottom of the vehicle body in any suitable manner preferably through the instrumentality of the screws 3. Secured to the bracket 2is a lugwhose outer end is beveled as indicated at- 5 and which has also at its outer end a notch 6 for a' purpose which will also be explained. Secured to the hanger in spaced relation to the'lug at is a second lug Twhose bore is adapted to alin e' with the bore 8 of the lug 4: These lugs a and 7 serve as hangers for the rotatable support of the journal 9' of thestep 10 which latter is carried at the lower end of the shank 11 in which latterthejournal 9 terminates.

The character 12 indicates a helical spring v adapted to'encircle the journal 9- and which has one end fitted in the notch 13' of the lugs with its opposite end fitted in the notch 14;

of the collar 7- whioh'latter is fixedly secured by means of a suitable key 15- to the journal 9. v I A If the'step 10 contactswithan obstruction it yields and through its yielding function the shank 11 is lifted out of the notch 6.-of

the lug 4 and rides upon the beveled forward end 5 of the lug 4. with'the result that,

the journal 9. is shifted longitudinally against the tension of the spring 12 which latter, when the ste 10 or shank ll disengages the construction, causes the step to assume its normal position: and reverse the longitudinal movement of the journal ,9 to

' present the notch'16 of-the latter with relati'on tothe lug 7 so that the notch 16 may embrace opposite faces of the lug 7 when weight is brought to bear upon the step 10 and thereby positively lock the step against swinging movement when weight ofa person entering or leaving the vehicle is upon the step.

From the foregoing it will beseen that l provide an exceedingly simple, inexpensive, durable step for vehicles embodying such characteristics that in the event of the step coming into contact with stumps or other obstructions of roadways or in the event of its engaging a wall, fence, stone or the like ityields and thereby does not present a rigid part of the vehicle to the obstruction which would cause breakage either of the step or of the vehicle body.

What is claimed is: A device of the character described comprising a bracket provided with spaced lugs, one lug having its outer end beveled with 1ts beveled portion provided with a notch, the rear end of said beveled lug having a notch,

a step. including a journal which is rota.-

looj

tably and.slidablymounted in said lugs and also including a shank and a step portion,

placed upon the step, a collar fixedly secured the journal having a notch disposed norbeveledlug and having its opposite end. in mally for engagement with opposite faces the notch of said. collar" 10' of one of said sleeves to prevent sliding In testimony whereof I affix my sigma'tulre' movement of the journal when pressure is in presence of two Witnesses.

WILSO Home.

to the journal and having a notch, a sprin Witnesses: encircling the journal and having one en AARON Muzenmr, fitted in the second mentioned notch of the" Jesse LADNER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentsh Washingtomfl. (3. 

